When it comes to burnout, it’s natural to assume that by lessening our workload we can fight the culprit. On the contrary, search has shown that when people are overworked but intellectually underutilized, they most frequently report feeling “exhausted.” Simply put, burnout isn’t necessarily a function of too much work; burnout is more often the result of too little impact. To increase your impact without adding more hours:

• Reduce the phantom workload: Work-related stress doesn’t just come from the amount of work you do. It also comes from stressors like dealing with people issues, juggling your work with your personal life, or a lack of job security. Make work light for yourself and others by eschewing politics and drama, and being easy to work with.
• Increase the level of the challenge (not the volume) of the work: There is a strong correlation between “challenge level” and “satisfaction level” at work, meaning that, as the degree of challenge in your work increases, so does your job satisfaction. Find projects with visible impact and a scope that will invite you to stretch yourself.
• Share the leadership load: If you are new to the workforce, don’t wait to be promoted into a managerial role before you take on leadership roles. Look for leadership vacuums in everyday moments. When team members can step in and out of leadership roles with ease, everyone experiences less fatigue.